Lady Macbeth - by Max Araya
Along with the most famous Shakespearian characters like Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Romeo, stands Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is the ruthless wife of Macbeth in the play, “Macbeth”. Lady Macbeth stands out from the other female characters that Shakespeare created because she was extremely cruel and violent, almost man-like. Lady Macbeth contributes to the theme of gender and violence in this play, and also goes about a change in behavior that ironically reveals a more sensitive side of her.
In the beginning of the play, from the first time we meet her, we get a sense of Lady Macbeth’s cruelty. Lady Macbeth is shown trying to manipulate her husband to kill his King. She knows exactly the right the buttons to press to get Macbeth to comply. She questions his manhood to get him to agree to killing King Duncan. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, “When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” Lady Macbeth then goes on to show us just how evil she is when he she tells Macbeth that, “ I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple form his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done to this.” Macbeth is slowly starting to agree to the idea of committing murder and then asks Lady Macbeth what would happen if they failed. Lady Macbeth once more shows us her cruelty when she replies that they won’t fail because they will kill Duncan and frame it on the innocent, drunk servants. Macbeth ends up killing King Duncan and Lady Macbeth gets what she wants.
The theme of gender in the play is carried out by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s cruelty seems very un-lady-like. Women are usually thought of as sweet, caring persons who are compassionate for others. Men are thought of as more violent and ambitious, however, in the play “Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth shows unusual characteristics of a lady that are more manlike. Her cruelty and ambition make it seem like she is more a man in a woman’s body. She even suggests that she is more manlike than ladylike when she says the famous line of “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.”
Although Lady Macbeth expresses mostly cruelty in the first Act, there is one moment where she gives a small hint of sensitivity. That moment was when she told Macbeth that she would even do the murder herself if the King didn’t look like her own father. This gives us a hint that she is not entirely cruel. Soon after the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth begins to feel the first trail of guilt. This begins her descent from cruelty to mere madness. As the play continues, it seems as if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth trade places. At first it was Lady Macbeth who was the cruel one, but later, Macbeth is the one who is cruel. Lady Macbeth is taken back with her guilt, while Macbeth is out killing Macduff’s wife and children for no reason at all. Lady Macbeth’s guilt takes a toll on her as she becomes mad. She was at the point where her guilt had her sleepwalking around the castle trying to clean the imaginary blood off her hands that is supposed to resemble the blood of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s misery ends when she dies in Act 5.
In the beginning of the play, from the first time we meet her, we get a sense of Lady Macbeth’s cruelty. Lady Macbeth is shown trying to manipulate her husband to kill his King. She knows exactly the right the buttons to press to get Macbeth to comply. She questions his manhood to get him to agree to killing King Duncan. Lady Macbeth tells Macbeth, “When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” Lady Macbeth then goes on to show us just how evil she is when he she tells Macbeth that, “ I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple form his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done to this.” Macbeth is slowly starting to agree to the idea of committing murder and then asks Lady Macbeth what would happen if they failed. Lady Macbeth once more shows us her cruelty when she replies that they won’t fail because they will kill Duncan and frame it on the innocent, drunk servants. Macbeth ends up killing King Duncan and Lady Macbeth gets what she wants.
The theme of gender in the play is carried out by Lady Macbeth. Lady Macbeth’s cruelty seems very un-lady-like. Women are usually thought of as sweet, caring persons who are compassionate for others. Men are thought of as more violent and ambitious, however, in the play “Macbeth”, Lady Macbeth shows unusual characteristics of a lady that are more manlike. Her cruelty and ambition make it seem like she is more a man in a woman’s body. She even suggests that she is more manlike than ladylike when she says the famous line of “Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.”
Although Lady Macbeth expresses mostly cruelty in the first Act, there is one moment where she gives a small hint of sensitivity. That moment was when she told Macbeth that she would even do the murder herself if the King didn’t look like her own father. This gives us a hint that she is not entirely cruel. Soon after the murder of King Duncan, Lady Macbeth begins to feel the first trail of guilt. This begins her descent from cruelty to mere madness. As the play continues, it seems as if Macbeth and Lady Macbeth trade places. At first it was Lady Macbeth who was the cruel one, but later, Macbeth is the one who is cruel. Lady Macbeth is taken back with her guilt, while Macbeth is out killing Macduff’s wife and children for no reason at all. Lady Macbeth’s guilt takes a toll on her as she becomes mad. She was at the point where her guilt had her sleepwalking around the castle trying to clean the imaginary blood off her hands that is supposed to resemble the blood of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth’s misery ends when she dies in Act 5.
